Speed Scrabble in an Envelope
Preparation
To make things easier for lower level students or to add more challenge to upper level students, the teacher can prepare Speed Scrabble activities in advance. Using a piece of graph paper, the teacher can prepare a mini-crossword keeping in mind the vocabulary of the class. Lower level classes will most likely need lots of vowels and more common consonants, while upper levels can include more difficult consonants and less vowels. It is recommended not to use more than 35-40 total letters.
After preparing the mini-crossword, the teacher transfers all of the letters to one inch (1”) squares on card stock that can be photocopied and makes multiple sets of the same letters. The letters are then cut apart and each set of letters is placed in an envelope with each envelope of the set being marked with the same name or number.
Play
Each student or pair of students is given an envelope containing the same letters as all other students. The students open the envelopes when directed by the teacher. The students immediately begin to work on their own trying to assemble the letters into a mini-crossword. The rules for play and the scoring are the same as regular Speed Scrabble.
The format allows games to be played more quickly, so you may want to have multiple sets of envelopes ahead of time. The envelopes can be stored and used again in the future with another class.
